Furniture

1
European Commission
GPP Training Toolkit
Module 3 - Purchasing recommendations
Furniture
2
Scope

• Furniture is a broad product group that
  encompasses very different types of furniture
  (chairs, tables, wardrobes, shelves,
  cupboards...) with very different uses (for
  schools, offices, kitchens, bathrooms, outdoors,
  special uses, etc.).

3
Scope

• The proposed criteria cover
• Indoor furniture. This includes indoor furniture
  for business purposes, e.g. offices and schools,
  as well as for domestic purposes. It includes all
  free-standing or built-in furniture units, which
  are used for storing, hanging, lying, sitting,
  working and eating. It does not include, however,
  building products (for example, steps, walls,
  mouldings, panels), sanitary equipment, carpets,
  fabrics, office supplies, and other products,
  whose primary purpose is not to function as
  furniture.
• Outdoor furniture. This includes mainly benches,
  tables and chairs, excluding other products,
  whose primary purpose is not to function as
  furniture (such as streetlights, bike-parks,
  playgrounds, etc.).

4
Accompanying information

• The following documents may also be referred to
• Product Sheet on Furniture, containing a slightly
  expanded version of the information in these
  slides
• Background Product Report on Furniture, providing
  more detailed background information on how these
  purchasing recommendations have been developed
• For the full GPP Training Toolkit please visit
• http//ec.europa.eu/environment/gpp/toolkit_en.htm

5
Key environmental impacts
6
Purchasing criteria

• The proposed criteria are based on existing
  ecolabel sources.
• The criteria focus on the materials which are
  most typically used in the production of
  furniture wood and wood-based products, metals,
  plastics, padding and textiles.
• Criteria are also recommended for coating and
  adhesives/glues used in the assembly of the
  product and for packaging.

7
Furniture - Core GPP criteria
Furniture - Core GPP
Criteria -
Note For implementation notes see the notes page
8
Furniture - Core GPP criteria
Subject matter

• Purchase of furniture produced with
  environmentally friendly materials and processes.

Specifications

• Wood and wood-based materials
• All wood and wood-based materials shall come from
  legally sourced timber.
• Verification Certificates of chain of custody
  for the wood certified as FSC, PEFC or any other
  equivalent means of proof, will be accepted as
  proof of compliance.
• The legal origin of wood can also be demonstrated
  with a tracing system being in place. These
  voluntary systems may be 3rd party certified,
  often as part of ISO 9000 and/or ISO 14000 or
  EMAS management systems.

9
Furniture - Core GPP criteria
Specifications (cont.)

• (Verification cont.) If wood stems from a country
  that has signed a Voluntary Partnership Agreement
  (VPA) with the EU, the FLEGT licence may serve as
  proof of legality. For the non-certified wood
  bidders shall indicate the types (species),
  quantities and origins of the wood used in
  production, together with a declaration of their
  legality. As such the wood shall be able to be
  traced throughout the whole production chain from
  the forest to the product.
• In specific cases, where the evidence provided is
  not considered sufficient to prove compliance
  with the requested technical specifications,
  contracting authorities may ask suppliers for
  further clarifications of proof.

10
Furniture - Core GPP criteria
Specifications (cont.)
11
Furniture - Core GPP criteria
Specifications (cont.)

• Surface coating of wood, plastic and/or metal
  parts
• The products used for surface coating shall
• Not contain hazardous substances that are
  classified according to Directive 1999/45/EC as
  carcinogenic (R40, R45, R49), harmful to the
  reproductive system (R60, R61, R62, R63),
  mutagenic (R46, R68), toxic (R23, R24, R25, R26,
  R27, R28, R51), allergenic when inhaled (R42) or
  harmful to the environment (R50, R50/53, R51/53,
  R52, R52/53, R53), cause heritable genetic damage
  (R46), danger of serious damage to health by
  prolonged exposure (R48), possible risks of
  irreversible effects (R68).
• Not contain more than 5 by weight of volatile
  organic compounds (VOCs).
• For phtalates no use is allowed of phtalates
  that at the time of application fulfil the
  classification criteria of any of the following
  risk phrases (or combinations thereof) R60, R61,
  R62, in accordance with Directive 67/548/EEC and
  its amendments.not contain aziridine
• not contain Chromium (VI) compunds

12
Furniture - Core GPP criteria
Specifications (cont.)

• Verification Bidders must present a list with
  all surface treatment substances used for each
  material present in the furniture and their
  Security Data Sheet or equivalent documentation
  demonstrating compliance with the above criteria.
  Furniture carrying the Nordic Swan Ecolabel (if
  they comply with the criteria R17 of the
  Ecolabel) will be deemed to comply.
• Adhesives and glues
• The VOC content of adhesives used in the assembly
  of furniture shall not exceed 10 by
  weight.Verification Bidders must present a
  list with all adhesives used in the assembly of
  furniture and their Security Data Sheet or
  equivalent documentation where the amount of VOCs
  is displayed demonstrating compliance with the
  above criteria. Furniture carrying the Nordic
  Swan ecolabel will be deemed to comply.

13
Furniture - Core GPP criteria
Specifications (cont.)

• Packaging materials
• Packaging must consist of readily recycled
  material, and/or materials taken from renewable
  resources, or be a multi-use system.
• All packaging materials shall be easily separable
  by hand into recyclable parts consisting of one
  material (e.g. cardboard, paper, plastic,
  textile).Verification A description of the
  product packaging shall be provided together with
  a corresponding declaration of compliance with
  these criteria.

14
Furniture - Core GPP criteria
Specifications (cont.)

• Durability, reparability, fitness for use and
  ergonomics
• Furniture must meet insert relevant
  national/international quality standards or
  equivalent regarding serviceability (e.g. safety,
  abrasion resistance, tensile strength, light
  fastness, rub fastness, deformation by
  compression, ergonomics).Verification Bidders
  must provide appropriate documentation to
  demonstrate compliance with these standards.

15
Furniture - Core GPP criteria
Award criteria

• Additional points will be awarded for
• Sustainable forest management The percentage of
  the final product made of wood, wood fibres or
  wood particles stemming from forests that are
  verified as being managed so as to implement the
  principles and measures aimed at ensuring
  sustainable forest management, on condition that
  these criteria characterize and are relevant for
  the product.In Europe, these principles and
  measures shall at least correspond to those of
  the Pan-European Operational Level Guidelines for
  Sustainable Forest Management, as endorsed by the
  Lisbon Ministerial Conference on the Protection
  of Forests in Europe (2 to 4 June 1998). Outside
  Europe they shall at least correspond to the
  UNCED Forest Principles (Rio de Janeiro, June
  1992) and, where applicable, to the criteria or
  guidelines for sustainable forest management as
  adopted under the respective international and
  regional initiatives (ITTO, Montreal Process,
  Tarapoto Process, UNEP/FAO Dry-Zone Africa
  Initiative).

16
Furniture - Core GPP criteria
Award criteria (cont.)

• Verification Certificates of chain of custody
  for the wood fibres certified as FSC, PEFC or any
  other equivalent means of proof, will be accepted
  as proof of compliance. Any other appropriate
  means of proof, such as a technical dossier of
  the manufacturer will also be accepted.
• Recycled materials content Percentage by weight
  of recycled content of wood-based materials,
  plastics and/or metals in the final piece of
  furniture.Verification Bidders must provide
  appropriate documentation where the recycled
  content percentage by weight is stated.

17
Furniture - Core GPP criteria
Award criteria (cont.)

• Textiles the products shall
• (a) Not contain hazardous substances that are
  classified according to Directive 1999/45/EC as
  carcinogenic (R40, R45, R49), harmful to the
  reproductive system (R60, R61, R62, R63),
  mutagenic (R46, R68), toxic (R23, R24, R25, R26,
  R27, R28, R51), allergenic when inhaled (R42) or
  harmful to the environment (R50, R50/53, R51/53,
  R52, R52/53, R53), cause heritable genetic damage
  (R46), danger of serious damage to health by
  prolonged exposure (R48), possible risks of
  irreversible effects (R68)

18
Furniture - Core GPP criteria
Award criteria (cont.)

• (b) For biocides especially Biocidal or
  biostatic products shall only be allowed if the
  active biocide component is approved by Directive
  98/8/EC and the active biocide component is not
  classified by means of any of the following
  R-phrases R23/24 R23/25 R23/24/25 R24/25
  R26/27 R26/27 R26/27/28 R27/28 R39/23
  R39/24 R39/25 R39/23/24 R39/23/25 R39/24/25
  R39/23/24/25 R39/26 R39/27 R39/28 R39/26/27
  R39/26/28 R39/27/28 R39/26/27/28 R48/21
  R48/22 R48/20/21 R48/20/22 R48/21/22
  R48/20/21/22 R48/23 R48/24 R48/25 R48/23/24
  R48/23/25 R48/24/25 R48/23/24/25 R50/53
  R51/53 and R52/53.

19
Furniture - Core GPP criteria
Award criteria (cont.)

• (c) For phthalates No use is allowed of
  phthalates that at the time of application fulfil
  the classification criteria of any of the
  following risk phrases (or combinations thereof)
  R60, R61, R62, in accordance with Directive
  67/548/EEC and its amendments.
• Verification All products carrying the European
  Ecolabel for textiles or the Öko-Tex Standard 100
  label will be deemed to comply. Any other
  appropriate means of proof, such as a technical
  dossier of the manufacturer or a test report from
  a recognised body will also be accepted.

20
Furniture - Core GPP criteria
Award criteria (cont.)

• For padding materials Ecolabel criteria for
  padding materials The padding material in the
  furniture meet the ecological criteria relating
  to the product itself and production processes of
  the Certipur standard (full criteria document
  available at http//www.europur.com/index.php?page
  certipur) or the European Ecolabel (full
  criteria document available at http//eur-lex.europ
  a.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uriOJL200223600
  100015ENPDF).Verification All products
  carrying the European Ecolabel or the Certipur
  label will be deemed to comply. Any other
  appropriate means of proof, such as a technical
  dossier of the manufacturer or a test report from
  a recognised body will also be accepted.

21
Furniture - Comprehensive GPP criteria
Furniture -
Comprehensive GPP Criteria -
Note For implementation notes see the notes page
22
Furniture - Comprehensive GPP criteria
Subject matter

• Purchase of furniture produced with
  environmentally friendly materials and processes.

Specifications

• All wood and wood-based materials shall come from
  legally sourced timber.
• Verification Certificates of chain of custody
  for the wood certified as FSC, PEFC or any other
  equivalent means of proof, will be accepted as
  proof of compliance.The legal origin of the wood
  can also be demonstrated with a tracing system
  being in place. These voluntary systems may be
  3rd party certified, often as part of ISO 9000
  and/or ISO 14000 or EMAS management systems.

Wood and wood-based materials
23
Furniture - Comprehensive GPP criteria
Specifications (cont.)

• (Verification cont.) If wood stems from a
  country that has signed a Voluntary Partnership
  Agreement (VPA) with the EU, the FLEGT licence
  may serve as proof of legality. For the
  non-certified wood bidders shall indicate the
  types (species), quantities and origins of the
  wood used in production, together with a
  declaration of their legality. As such the wood
  shall be able to be traced throughout the whole
  production chain from the forest to the product.
• In specific cases, where the evidence provided is
  not considered sufficient to prove compliance
  with the requested technical specifications,
  contracting authorities may ask suppliers for
  further clarifications of proof.

24
Furniture - Comprehensive GPP criteria
Specifications (cont.)

• At least 30 of the solid wood or wood-based
  materials used shall come from forests that are
  verified as being managed so as to implement the
  principles and measures aimed at ensuring
  sustainable forest management, on the condition
  that these criteria characterize and are relevant
  for the product. In Europe, these principles
  and measures shall at least correspond to those
  of the Pan-European Operational Level Guidelines
  for Sustainable Forest Management, as endorsed by
  the Lisbon Ministerial Conference on the
  Protection of Forests in Europe (2 to 4 June
  1998). Outside Europe they shall at least
  correspond to the UNCED Forest Principles (Rio de
  Janeiro, June 1992) and, where applicable, to the
  criteria or guidelines for sustainable forest
  management as adopted under the respective
  international and regional initiatives (ITTO,
  Montreal Process, Tarapoto Process, UNEP/FAO
  Dry-Zone Africa Initiative).

25
Furniture - Comprehensive GPP criteria
Specifications (cont.)
Verification Certificates of chain of custody
for the wood fibres certified as FSC, PEFC or any
other equivalent means of proof, will be accepted
as proof of compliance. Any other appropriate
means of proof, such as a technical dossier of
the manufacturer will also be accepted.
26
Furniture - Comprehensive GPP criteria
Specifications (cont.)

• Preservatives (only for outdoors furniture)
• Wood classified with a durability class of 1 or
  2 according to EN 350-2 or equivalent must not
  have been treated with preservatives.
• Wood not classified with a durability class of 1
  or 2 according to EN 350-2 or equivalent, must
  not have been treated with substances classified
  according to Directive 1999/45/EC as carcinogenic
  (R40, R45, R49), harmful to the reproductive
  system (R60, R61, R62, R63), mutagenic (R46, R68)
  or allergenic when inhaled (R42).
• The active substances in preservatives must not
  be based on arsenic, chrome or organic tin
  compounds.
• Verification Bidders must present the durability
  classification of the timber products together
  with a list of the preservation substances used
  for each material present in the furniture and
  their Safety Data Sheet or equivalent
  documentation demonstrating compliance with the
  above criteria. Products carrying the Nordic Swan
  ecolabel will be deemed to comply.

27
Furniture - Comprehensive GPP criteria
Specifications (cont.)
28
Furniture - Comprehensive GPP criteria
Specifications (cont.)

• Surface coating of wood, plastic and/or metal
  parts
• The products used for surface coating shall
• Not contain hazardous substances that are
  classified according to Directive 1999/45/EC as
  carcinogenic (R40, R45, R49), harmful to the
  reproductive system (R60, R61, R62, R63),
  mutagenic (R46, R68), toxic (R23, R24, R25, R26,
  R27, R28, R51), allergenic when inhaled (R42) or
  harmful to the environment (R50, R50/53, R51/53,
  R52, R52/53, R53), cause heritable genetic damage
  (R46), danger of serious damage to health by
  prolonged exposure (R48), possible risks of
  irreversible effects (R68).
• For phtalates no use is allowed of phtalates
  that at the time of application fulfil the
  classification criteria of any of the following
  risk phrases (or combinations thereof) R60, R61,
  R62, in accordance with Directive 67/548/EEC and
  its amendments.
• Not contain aziridine
• Not contain Chromium (VI) compounds
• Not contain more than 5 by weight of volatile
  organic compounds (VOCs).

29
Furniture - Comprehensive GPP criteria
Specifications (cont.)

• Verification Bidders must present a list with
  all surface treatment substances used for each
  material present in the furniture and their
  Security Data Sheet or equivalent documentation
  demonstrating compliance with the above criteria.
  Furniture carrying the Nordic Swan Ecolabel (if
  they comply with the criteria R17 of the
  Ecolabel) will be deemed to comply.
• Adhesives and glues
• The VOC content of adhesives used in the assembly
  of furniture shall not exceed 10 by
  weight.Verification Bidders must present a
  list with all adhesives used in the assembly of
  furniture and their Security Data Sheet or
  equivalent documentation where the amount of VOCs
  is displayed demonstrating compliance with the
  above criteria. Furniture carrying the Nordic
  Swan Ecolabel will be deemed to comply.

30
Furniture - Comprehensive GPP criteria
Specifications (cont.)

• Polyurethane foams
• The blowing agents of polyurethane foams
  (PUR-foams) must not be CFC, HCFC, HFC or
  methylene chloride.Verification Bidders must
  present a declaration by the foam manufacturer of
  compliance with this criterion.

31
Furniture - Comprehensive GPP criteria
Specifications (cont.)

• Packaging materials
• Packaging must consist of readily recycled
  material, and/or materials taken from renewable
  resources, or be a multi-use system.
• All packaging materials shall be easily separable
  by hand into recyclable parts consisting of one
  material (e.g. cardboard, paper, plastic,
  textile).Verification A description of the
  product packaging shall be provided together with
  a corresponding declaration of compliance with
  these criteria.

32
Furniture - Comprehensive GPP criteria
Specifications (cont.)

• Durability, reparability, fitness for use and
  ergonomics
• Furniture must meet insert relevant
  national/international quality standards or
  equivalent regarding serviceability (e.g. safety,
  abrasion resistance, tensile strength, light
  fastness, rub fastness, deformation by
  compression, ergonomics).Verification Bidders
  must provide appropriate documentation to
  demonstrate compliance with these standards.

33
Furniture - Comprehensive GPP criteria
Award criteria

• Additional points will be awarded for
• Sustainable forest management The percentage of
  the final product made of wood, wood fibres or
  wood particles stemming from forests that are
  verified as being managed so as to implement the
  principles and measures aimed at ensuring
  sustainable forest management as defined
  above.Verification As above.
• Recycled materials content Percentage by weight
  of recycled content of wood-based materials,
  plastics and/or metals in the final piece of
  furniture.Verification Bidders must provide
  appropriate documentation where the recycled
  content percentage by weight is stated.

34
Furniture - Comprehensive GPP criteria
Award criteria (cont.)

• Packaging The tenderer should indicate the
  percentage by weight of recycled content in the
  packaging materials (plastics and cardboard).
  Verification Bidders must provide a list of
  the different packaging materials, their weight
  and a declaration by the packaging producer/s
  where it states the of recycled content in
  their packaging material.

35
Furniture - Comprehensive GPP criteria
Award criteria (cont.)

• Textiles the products shall
• (a) Not contain hazardous substances that are
  classified according to Directive 1999/45/EC as
  carcinogenic (R40, R45, R49), harmful to the
  reproductive system (R60, R61, R62, R63),
  mutagenic (R46, R68), toxic (R23, R24, R25, R26,
  R27, R28, R51), allergenic when inhaled (R42) or
  harmful to the environment (R50, R50/53, R51/53,
  R52, R52/53, R53), cause heritable genetic damage
  (R46), danger of serious damage to health by
  prolonged exposure (R48), possible risks of
  irreversible effects (R68)

36
Furniture - Comprehensive GPP criteria
Award criteria (cont.)

• Textiles
• (b) For biocides especially Biocidal or
  biostatic products shall only be allowed if the
  active biocide component is approved by Directive
  98/8/EC and the active biocide component is not
  classified by means of any of the following
  R-phrases R23/24 R23/25 R23/24/25 R24/25
  R26/27 R26/27 R26/27/28 R27/28 R39/23
  R39/24 R39/25 R39/23/24 R39/23/25 R39/24/25
  R39/23/24/25 R39/26 R39/27 R39/28 R39/26/27
  R39/26/28 R39/27/28 R39/26/27/28 R48/21
  R48/22 R48/20/21 R48/20/22 R48/21/22
  R48/20/21/22 R48/23 R48/24 R48/25 R48/23/24
  R48/23/25 R48/24/25 R48/23/24/25 R50/53
  R51/53 and R52/53

37
Furniture - Comprehensive GPP criteria
Award criteria (cont.)

• Textiles
• (c) For phthalates No use is allowed of
  phthalates that at the time of application fulfil
  the classification criteria of any of the
  following risk phrases (or combinations thereof)
  R60, R61, R62, in accordance with Directive
  67/548/EEC and its amendments.
• Verification All products carrying the European
  Ecolabel for textiles or the Öko-Tex Standard 100
  label will be deemed to comply. Any other
  appropriate means of proof, such as a technical
  dossier of the manufacturer or a test report from
  a recognised body will also be accepted.

38
Furniture - Comprehensive GPP criteria
Award criteria (cont.)

• For textiles Organically produced cotton or
  other natural fibres Bidders must indicate the
  proportion of cotton or other natural fibres used
  in the textiles by weight deriving from organic
  production. To be considered as such, the fibre
  must be produced according to Regulation (EEC) No
  2092/91 until 31 December 2008, and Regulation
  (EC) No 834/2007 as of 1 January
  2009.Verification The supplier must provide
  evidence of the origin of the fibres used and the
  organic nature of their production, such as the
  EU organic logo or approved national logos for
  organic production.

39
Furniture - Comprehensive GPP criteria
Award criteria (cont.)

• For textiles Recycled fibres Bidders must
  indicate the proportion of the textile by weight
  made from recycled fibres, i.e. fibres
  originating only from cuttings from textile and
  clothing manufacturers or from post-consumer
  waste (textile or otherwise). Verification The
  supplier must provide evidence of the origin of
  the recycled fibres used.

40
Furniture - Comprehensive GPP criteria
Award criteria (cont.)

• For padding materials Ecolabel criteria for
  padding materials The padding material in the
  furniture meet the ecological criteria relating
  to the product itself and production processes of
  the Certipur standard (full criteria document
  available at http//www.europur.com/index.php?page
  certipur) or the European Ecolabel (full
  criteria document available at http//eur-lex.europ
  a.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uriOJL200223600
  100015ENPDF).Verification All products
  carrying the European Ecolabel for textiles or
  the Certipur label will be deemed to comply. Any
  other appropriate means of proof, such as a
  technical dossier of the manufacturer or a test
  report from a recognised body will also be
  accepted.

41
Further information

• For the full GPP Training Toolkit please visit
• http//ec.europa.eu/environment/gpp/toolkit_en.htm
  

Toolkit developed for the European Commission by
ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability,
2008 Owner, Editor European Commission, DG
Environment-G2, B-1049, Bruxelles Disclaimer The
European Commission accepts no responsibility
or liability whatsoever with regard to the
information presented in this document
Pictures courtesy of StockXchng Razvan Caliman
(s. 1), sevenyears (s. 2), Amr Safey (s. 7),
Thad Zajdowicz (s. 19)